Sunday Morning First Service | I Am #4 Mother's Day | Pastor Dennis Pitts

May 10, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Green Pastures and Still Waters

David gripped his rod as wind whipped the desert rocks. His sheep huddled, bleating. He scanned for predators while leading them toward distant grass. The shepherd knew thirsty flocks panic at rushing streams—so he sought quiet pools. "The Lord is my shepherd," David later wrote, recalling how God restores souls wearied by life’s rocky paths. [01:05:13]

Jehovah Rohi sees your exhaustion. Sheep don’t navigate alone—they follow voices they trust. Jesus walks ahead, clearing dangers you can’t see. His "green pastures" aren’t just physical rest but soul-deep renewal in chaos.

You’ve dragged through deadlines, relational storms, or sleepless nights. Hear Him say, "Lie down here." His command isn’t harsh but healing. Where are you resisting rest because productivity screams louder than His voice?

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul."
(Psalm 23:1–3, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one area where He’s inviting you to stop striving and receive His rest.

Challenge: Silence your phone for 15 minutes today. Sit still, breathe deeply, and repeat aloud: “The Lord is my shepherd.”

Day 2: The God Who Whispers to 99-Year-Olds

Abraham stared at his wrinkled hands—too old for fatherhood. Sarah’s laughter echoed doubt. Then El Shaddai spoke: “I am God Almighty.” The promise wasn’t about their ability but His sufficiency. Barrenness bowed to the One who forms life from dust. [01:30:20]

El Shaddai thrives in impossibilities. He didn’t rebuke Abraham’s weakness but revealed His strength. Your limitations are gateways for His power. Human logic says “dead end,” but God says “watch Me.”

What dream have you buried under “too late” or “not enough”? He’s the God of Isaac’s laughter, not Sarah’s skepticism. Will you let His “I am” rewrite your “I can’t”?

"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.'"
(Genesis 17:1, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one situation where you’ve relied on human effort over God’s limitless power.

Challenge: Write “El Shaddai” on a sticky note. Place it where you’ll see it hourly as a reminder: He is enough.

Day 3: Chariots in the Hills

Elisha’s servant trembled as enemy horses surrounded Dothan. “Don’t fear,” Elisha said. “Those with us outnumber them.” Then God peeled back the veil—flaming chariots filled the mountains. The unseen army had been there all along. [01:35:11]

Fear distorts reality. Your crisis isn’t ultimate reality—God’s presence is. The “chariots of fire” weren’t summoned; they were revealed. Jehovah Sabaoth fights for you even when your eyes see only threats.

Anxiety shouts about lack, sickness, or conflict. But the Shepherd-King says, “Look again.” What situation needs you to trade panic for His perspective?

"And when the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.' And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
(2 Kings 6:15–17, ESV)

Prayer: Request God to open your eyes to His active presence in one overwhelming circumstance.

Challenge: Text someone facing fear: “God’s armies are with you. Read 2 Kings 6:15–17.”

Day 4: Strength Perfected in Weakness

Paul thrashed against his “thorn”—a tormenting weakness. Three times he begged for relief. Instead, Jesus declared, “My grace is sufficient.” Power surged where Paul felt most frail, proving El Shaddai’s strength needs no human scaffolding. [01:43:01]

God’s grace isn’t a backup plan—it’s the foundation. Your thorns (chronic pain, failure, insecurity) become platforms for His power. Weakness stops being a curse when it magnifies Christ.

Where have you hidden shame over limitations? His voice whispers, “Let Me here.” What if your breaking point is His starting line?

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
(2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for one weakness, asking Him to display His power through it today.

Challenge: Share a personal struggle with a trusted believer, inviting them to pray for Christ’s strength in your weakness.

Day 5: I AM in the Burning Bush

Moses hid in Midian, believing his failures defined him. A bush blazed—unconsumed. “I AM WHO I AM,” God declared. Not “I was” or “I will be”—the eternal present tense. The same fire that didn’t destroy the bush wouldn’t consume Moses’ calling. [01:02:21]

Jehovah’s “I AM” transcends your past regrets and future fears. He’s the God of current-tense provision. The bush reminds us: His presence transforms ordinary ground into holy purpose.

You’ve rehearsed “I’m not ready” or “I’ve messed up too much.” But I AM says, “Walk forward.” Where is He inviting you to trade excuses for His “I AM”?

“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.”’”
(Exodus 3:14, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve doubted God’s present-moment sufficiency.

Challenge: Light a candle tonight. As it burns, meditate on Exodus 3:14 and write down three “I AM” truths about God.

Sermon Summary

We gather around the one who names himself I am and reveal him as our personal shepherd and all sufficient provider. We trace Exodus 3 14 to claim his unchanging identity, and we anchor our trust in the shepherd image of Psalm 23. We confess that the shepherd leads us through rocky paths, calls us to still waters, and restores our souls even amid enemies. We hold that the shepherd’s rod and staff represent correction and gentle guidance, and that those instruments point us back to the authority and tenderness of Scripture. We receive the name El Shaddai to confront our sense of insufficiency, remembering Abraham’s impossible promise and God’s habit of supplying beyond our resources. We rehearse encounters in which God’s presence changed facts and circumstances, showing that God’s power and grace meet us in fear, lack, and fatigue. We bring practical application to today by asking where we need guidance, rest, protection, or replenishing, and we invite one another into prayer at the altar to experience the shepherd’s care. We refuse to live driven by anxiety or by the loudness of life, and we choose to rest in the covenant God who is both with us and more than enough for every need.

Key Takeaways

1. The Lord is our Shepherd We recognize the I am as Jehovah Rohi, the covenant God who leads, tends, and provides. We place our identity under his care so that wandering, confusion, and the illusion of self-sufficiency lose their claim over us. We practice distinguishing the shepherd’s voice from competing voices by cultivating simple habits of listening and obedience. This reorientation reorders fears into confidence born from relationship. [63:18]
2. He guides us to still waters We accept that guidance means being led into rest, not merely into activity. We allow God to choose paths that restore our souls, even if those paths look like pauses or slower rhythms in a hurried world. We refuse the gospel-shaped hustle that equates striving with faith, and we learn to receive nourishment where the shepherd intentionally places us. Rest becomes a spiritual discipline that reveals God’s provision. [65:13]
3. God is more than enough We name God El Shaddai to confront every shortage in resources, wisdom, and strength. We hold Abraham’s promise as a template: apparent impossibility does not nullify God’s ability to supply the needed miracle. In our weakness we rehearse dependence so grace becomes the mechanism through which power flows. This conviction shifts our strategies from hoarding to trusting. [90:20]
4. Rod corrects, staff gently guides We see the rod as firm protection and the staff as tender direction, both functioning to keep the flock safe and on course. We receive correction as an expression of care and guidance as an invitation to intimacy rather than control. We cultivate a spiritually sober posture that welcomes God’s shaping rather than resists discomfort that reforms. The Scriptures serve as the practical instrument for both correction and consolation. [80:54]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[59:04] - Series purpose and review
[61:21] - I Am, Exodus 3:14
[65:13] - Psalm 23: The shepherd image
[68:54] - Sheep know their shepherd's voice
[71:06] - Guidance through rocky journeys
[78:47] - A table even amid enemies
[80:54] - Rod protects staff guides
[86:52] - El Shaddai God almighty
[90:20] - Promise to Abraham and sufficiency
[98:01] - Personal testimony of healing
[103:21] - Invitation to receive shepherding

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Exodus 3:14 (ESV): God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
- Psalm 23:1-4 (ESV): The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV): But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Observation Questions

In Exodus 3:14, God names Himself “I AM.” What does this name reveal about His nature and character?
Psalm 23 describes the shepherd’s rod and staff. What specific roles do these tools play in guiding and protecting sheep? [01:20:54]
How does the sermon describe the connection between God’s guidance and the “rocky paths” of life? [01:11:06]
According to 2 Corinthians 12:9, how does God respond to human weakness?

Interpretation Questions

Why might God use the imagery of a shepherd (Psalm 23) to describe His relationship with His people, rather than a more authoritative or distant metaphor?
The sermon mentions that “rest becomes a spiritual discipline.” How does Psalm 23 challenge modern assumptions about productivity and busyness? [01:05:13]
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul says God’s power is “made perfect in weakness.” How does this align with the idea of El Shaddai (“God Almighty”) being “more than enough”? [01:30:20]
How do the rod (correction) and staff (guidance) work together to reflect both God’s authority and tenderness? [01:23:21]

Application Questions

Where in your life do you most need the Shepherd’s guidance right now—a relationship, decision, or fear? What practical step could you take to listen for His voice this week? [01:03:18]
The sermon says, “We refuse the gospel-shaped hustle.” What rhythms or habits in your life make it hard to embrace rest as a spiritual discipline? How could you create space for “still waters” this month? [01:14:16]
When have you experienced God’s sufficiency (El Shaddai) in a situation where you felt inadequate or lacking? How might rehearsing that story strengthen your trust in Him today? [01:38:01]
The rod represents correction. Is there an area where you’ve resisted God’s gentle correction? How could you respond differently? [01:20:54]
The sermon challenges us to “confront every shortage” by naming God as El Shaddai. What specific need (emotional, financial, relational) do you need to surrender to Him as “more than enough”?
How can you intentionally distinguish the Shepherd’s voice from “competing voices” (e.g., fear, culture, or self-reliance) in your daily decisions? [01:08:54]
The altar was opened for prayer in the sermon. What would it look like for you to “bring your cares” to God this week—literally, physically, or emotionally—instead of striving alone? [01:45:14]

Sermon Clips

43s

#RunningOnEmpty

“You ever felt like you're just running on empty? You you you don't have enough strength? You don't have enough wisdom. I've known a lot of times, man, I need wisdom to know how to answer this. Not you don't have enough resources. Whatever that may be. If that's you, you're you're gonna relate to this guy and we talked a little bit about the story a few weeks ago. Pastor Rob mentioned it and talked about it. We're gonna go just a little bit further. In Genesis seventeen one, when Abram was 99 years old, the lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am almighty god. Walk before me and be blameless.”

33s

#GreatIAm

“There's that like I said, there's no no greater statement than I am in who god is, his character. No matter how lost or worry or insufficient you feel today, he is the great I am. The children of Israel had been in slavery for long, many hundreds of years, and he was still the god that could set them free no matter what Egypt did, no matter how powerful Egypt seemed to be in that time and in that place. The great I am is your shepherd who leads you and is always more than enough.”

56s

#SameGodSamePower

“what I'm getting at here is the god that in the beginning said, let there be light and light happen. Was the same god that spoke to Abraham and he had a child when he's well past the impossibility was happening. It was the same god that spoke to Moses when the bush wouldn't burn up. The god almighty, El Shaddai, was the same god that revealed himself to me out in the middle of that field that, Dennis, you're you're small, but I'm large. Same guy that the night I got saved, I found out how good god was. I couldn't I couldn't fight against his goodness. Same god. And that's the same god that heal my mom. And that's the same god that's here today.”

41s

#GoodShepherdBenefits

“Jesus said, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. And Jesus already laid down his life for us at the cross for salvation. But in that, there's so much more included in the cross. And I I know I've been it was a healing conference one night that came to me. The benefits. You know, years ago, I I worked on farm. We didn't have benefits. We didn't have health insurance. We didn't have retirement. And I got a job that had four zero one k and had health insurance and paid some of that. Those benefits through the cross, we have the benefits. Benefits of god.”

44s

#WordAsGuide

“His staff comforts and guides us gently and purposefully, and I think of both of these as as a as a an analogy of the word of god. The word of god corrects us. It's good for correction. It's good for for admonishing for encouragement. Sometimes we need correcting. Sometimes the the mirror of the word, we we don't see Jesus. We see a little too much of us. We we need correction. In in aviation, they would call that course correction. You get off. You get off a little bit here. By the time you get wherever you're going, you may be way off, and there'll be a problem. The staff gently corrects us. The rod is is more of a correction, but but not in punishment.”

46s

#GodWithUsInGrief

“And he walks with us in the darkest valleys. I found this to be true. Even in the very darkest time of grief, I found that God is with me, and he's able to pick me up and carry me if I need to be carried and to bring others to to the aid that we help each other, the God in us coming out to lead and help us as we go through these times. Your shepherd, Jehovah Rohi, is right there with you. In verse five of this, this Psalm, it even says that David is speaking to the lord and he says, you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

39s

#JesusIsTheAnswer

“From the confusion and the noise that can happen in your life, the noise and confusion in your head and in your mind where the where the battle is, it's up here. Sometimes we we don't know what to do and then there's no answer. We have to know who the answer is, not what the answer is, but who the answer is, and that's Jesus. He is the answer. He restores my soul when I'm weary, when life drains you. Life when life is will drain your peace, it'll drain your strength. He restores our soul. Life drains you emotionally, spiritually, and physically.”

46s

#StillWatersPeace

“In the chaos and the noise of life, he knows how to bring you to still waters and a place where you can lay down and rest. And we don't worry about the predators. The you know why the shepherd doesn't lay down and go to sleep and take a nap? The shepherd's always watching around the around the flock. He's to protect you and make sure that you get rest and peace. First Corinthians fourteen thirty three, Paul said, for God is not a God of confusion or chaos, but a peace. Now Paul's speaking here to to to the church about order in in the services, but but he also wants us to have peace in our daily lives.”

44s

#LushPastureRest

“Sometimes our our time through situations, circumstances in life is long, and and it gets rocky sometimes. Amen? Gets real rocky sometimes. And we might get anxious and thirsty, thirsty for just just some relief from the journey. Then your shepherd finds you a lush pasture. If you will just picture a minute, the greenest grass you've ever seen where it just looks like it's almost full of moisture ready to just spread out water. Find you some still quiet water where he's he's gonna let you drink, and you're not afraid of this water. It's still. It's quiet. It's pure.”

47s

#ShepherdWithUs

“even the valley of the shadow of death, he's still with us. He stays right beside us during these times. And we we may feel that God is distant. He's even closer. You wouldn't be able to tell the distance between you. He's in us, and he works through us. He stays right beside us, and you and and his rod and staff says they protect and comfort you. And that's a picture of Jehovah Rohi, the lord my shepherd. In Hebrew, Jehovah means our covenant god. Who's our covenant god? Jesus. His blood sealed the covenant and made that we could made it so we could have relationship with the father god again.”

52s

#OutnumberedButVictorious

“God was able to blind all of God is more as we are more than they. That's the moral of that. Just remember when you feel like you're outnumbered, god's god's army is more than they, and he's with us. And that means that the facts and circumstances can change. The fact was the army was out there and they were gonna take out they were gonna take out Elisha and his servant. I think just imagine a horrible death by this army or maybe being take back taken back to the king and tortured. Circumstances changed. Facts changed. I'm going through some things now that that facts were one thing, but god is showing me that they've changed and and that he has his power is greater than the facts of man of this world.”

35s

#NamesOfGodSeries

“But god is so huge and and and so deep and so good that one name cannot just fully describe our god. So I'm thankful thankful for a god that is that powerful and that big. But, we're letting this week, we're letting god finish the sentence with powerful names that reveal things about him, his character, and it's all through scripture. In week one, we learned that the great I am sees us, Elroy, and provides for us, Jehovah Jireh. I'm glad god sees me, and he saw me before I followed him.”

29s

#MoreThanEnoughShepherd

“The great I am is your shepherd who leads you and is always more than enough. And that's the main idea. The great I am is your personal shepherd who leads you and is more than enough for every need we have. And as we grow and trust and and gain confidence in him, we realize this more and more that he is the almighty god, the shepherd. Number one, not in the first name we're gonna talk about Jehovah Rohi. I know it's spelled the same as Roy, but it's different.”

50s

#ElShaddaiAlmighty

“It looked impossible. I'm learning more and more. The more I grow in in in the relationship with my god, I see impossibility altogether differently. That word is becoming dimmer and dimmer in my life. With god, all things are possible. But in in that moment of impossibility, god introduced himself to Abram as El Shaddai, almighty god. The meaning in Hebrew, El is god. Shaddai is almighty, all sufficient, mountain one. God who is more than enough. That all boils down to the God who is more than enough. Now here's what El Shaddai means to your life right now as well we talked about Jehovah Rohi.”

37s

#FollowTheShepherd

“Now imagine yourself as one of those sheep. Shepherds taking you. You know, we met up at town, mingled in the herd, and we all went our own way. We're following our shepherd, and and you're getting tired because this he's wherever he's taking you, it's not real close. You've been walking for a while, and you haven't even stopped for a break. You're tired from the journey. You may you don't understand the journey. This is this is too long. We're I don't know where we're going. The path has been rocky. You've just got rocky terrain. No grass is gonna grow in the rocks. Right?”

32s

#SheepKnowHisVoice

“And he thought, well, this is gonna be good. How's it gonna separate these sheep? How's it gonna know whose sheep is white? Because they're not branded. They don't have the ear tag. These are these are just sheep. They don't they don't do that. They couldn't afford to do that in this small town. Shepherds got through talking, and they took off in different directions. And the sheep, that whole big herd started going out, and they just filtered out and went on after their shepherd. They didn't worry about did they have all their sheep. They knew they were gonna follow them. Sheep knew their voice.”

41s

#FeelingInsignificant

“And one day, I was all alone in a 40 acre field, and there was hundreds of acres around me. Different people own land and rented land, and the the only first trees were were miles across there. And behind me, there was a pasture at one end of the field, and there wasn't even any cows in that pasture, and it was very big too. And I began to feel that insignificance of me on this little tractor plying up dirt. We call ourselves dirt farmers because we till the dirt and plant prepared the seed bed, planted the seed in there and harvested from the dirt. I began to feel how insignificant I was. I was feeling pretty small.”

35s

#CosmicPerspective

“Then I thought I knew enough to know there was an you know, the the earth and then that god had created it. I'd heard about that. Then there was the atmosphere and then, you know, the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe, and I I I about had to stop tractor and get off because I didn't understand. Didn't have anybody that I think I can answer. You know, I thought I could ask a question to explain it to me what I was feeling. Have you ever felt like you're not enough or or small in this whole big world in the universe? I felt like I was not enough many times raising children.”

41s

#FactsCanChange

“I found that in many areas in life, was lacking. At that certain ages, I felt like I was lacking. Like, when I was on a tractor 11 or 12, I can't remember. By nine, we could drive tractors. Okay? That was just how it was. We were like a little house on the prairie with with engine powered tractors instead of mules and plows. I remember especially one time, we had this circumstance that happened. And and how many of you know facts and circumstances? I'm learning more about this every day. They change. They can change. They're apt to change. They will change.”

51s

#UnchangingWord

“Facts, you still think our heart set. This is a fact. There's there's only one thing that's hard set, and that's the word of God, and that is God. Facts and circumstances can change. God's truth, his word will never change. In Malachi three six, he said, for I am the Lord, I do not change. Elisha, that was in second Kings six. You've talked about second Kings earlier. There was a a army that was looking for the king of Israel. They were they're take him out, And he said, where is the king of Israel? He's talking to his his people and his spies and everything. He said, well, nobody's gonna find him because he's got a guy that knows what's going on even in your bed chamber. He knows what's going on in the words you speak in private.”

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